Morning Sickness is usually one of the first symptoms women experience at the beginning of pregnancy. It can begin as early as 4 weeks and continue until 14 weeks. Though it is called morning sickness, the combination of nausea and vomiting can occur at any time during the day. 

If there is persistent vomiting or weight loss, your doctor or health care provider needs to be notified. 

In Ayurveda, nausea is noted to be a by product of aggravated Pitta Dosha in the body. Estrogen and progesterone are both hormones that are essential to the progression of a normal pregnancy but are also high in Pitta. So in order to lessen that nausea sensation, the aggravation of Pitta needs to be brought back to balance. 

Simple things that can be done include eliminating spicy and oily foods from the diet. Also, avoid going out into the summer heat or the afternoon sun to prevent heating of the body. 

If you’re also experiencing bloating, this could be related to aggravation of Vata Dosha in the body. Performing a daily self-massage with oil can help with this. 

If you feel like nothing is working, try some of the tips below! 

Essential Oils for Nausea:

• Peppermint or Ginger oil are the best for alleviating nausea. Place a couple of drops of either oil in your palm and inhale deeply. 

Treating Nausea with Diet: 

• Eating light snacks throughout the day and night to keep the stomach full and acidity at bay can significantly help reduce nausea
• Sipping on coconut water has also been shown to help

Treating Nausea with Herbs:

• Anything with ginger helps treat nausea – drink ginger tea, have a ginger candy, or cook a meal with fresh ginger.
• Peppermint tea can also keep nausea controlled
• Shatavari is an amazing herb which can be used before, during, and after pregnancy due to its numerous health benefits. You should consult your physician prior to its use as it may not be the best option for you if you have a history of fibrocystic changes or uterine fibroids. Otherwise, you can take 1 capsule twice a day or make a Shatavari milk to drink before bedtime. Recipe below.

Treating Nausea with Lifestyle changes:

• Perform Shitali Pranayama (also known as Cooling breath). This pranayama helps reduce Pitta Dosha in the body and helps ease the stomach. Shitali Pranayama can be performed on an empty stomach while in a comfortable seated position preferably cross legged. Then, stick your tongue out and roll the lateral edges upward to form a tube. Inhale and exhale through the curled tongue.
• Take a walk outside and breathe in the fresh air
• Get at least 7-8 hours of rest per night
• Do not go to bed within 3 hours of eating a meal

Hope these tips help ease your Morning Sickness! For more pregnancy guidelines, read my Monthly Ayurvedic Pregnancy posts 🙂

Namaste